The Elite Microsoft Unit Constantly Working to Thwart Hackers
At the time, there was no way of assessing the seriousness of the breach. Months of detective work lay ahead. But the potential harm was clear, according to the person, who says even tiny waves could presage downstream devastation.
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Yahoo
a minute ago
- Yahoo
West Virginia deploys hundreds of National Guard troops to Washington
West Virginia Gov. Patrick Morrisey announced Saturday that, at the request of the Trump administration, he will deploy hundreds from his state's National Guard to Washington, D.C. 'West Virginia is proud to stand with President [Donald] Trump in his effort to restore pride and beauty to our nation's capital,' the governor said in a press release. 'The men and women of our National Guard represent the best of our state, and this mission reflects our shared commitment to a strong and secure America.' Trump has fixated on crime in Washington in the last week, deploying the National Guard on Monday and invoking for the first time ever a provision of the Home Rule Act — the 1970s law that grants the District limited self-governance — for what the administration described as a takeover of the city's police force, despite violent crime declining in the city. City leaders and the administration are now locked in a legal battle after Attorney General Pam Bondi tried to appoint an 'emergency' police commissioner, a move the administration partially walked back in an agreement with city officials amid a lawsuit Friday. The state's involvement will 'include providing mission-essential equipment, specialized training, and approximately 300-400 skilled personnel as directed,' the release said. In the past week, as a part of the president's 'Making D.C. Safe and Beautiful Task Force,' Trump has put approximately 800 National Guard troops throughout the D.C. and taken partial control of the D.C. police force. The Friday agreement came after Bondi named Drug Enforcement Administration head Terry Cole as 'emergency police commissioner,' cutting D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser and city police chief Pamela Smith out of the chain of command. But on Friday, DOJ officials agreed to rewrite that order at a judge's urging, naming Cole as Bondi's 'designee,' responsible for directing Bowser to provide the police department's services as the attorney general 'deems necessary and appropriate.' Federal law enforcement officers from a variety of agencies have been spotted at an increased frequency throughout the city in recent days, even as federal agencies maintain a visible presence yearround. On Friday night, officers with Homeland Security Investigations and U.S. Marshals were patrolling U Street, the popular D.C. nightlife area, according to social media posts. Homeless encampments have also begun being cleared throughout the city, including in Foggy Bottom — which is home to The George Washington University and the State Department — and near the Kennedy Center. Trump has vowed to move homeless people "FAR from the Capital" as part of the takeover. 'This initiative aligns with our values of service and dedication to our communities,' said West Virginia Adjutant General Maj. Gen. Jim Seward, who will oversee the troops. In a lengthy statement Friday night, Bowser attempted to ease Washington residents' concerns, while remaining diplomatic. 'I know that if we keep sticking together, we will make it to the other side of this," she wrote, "we will make future generations of Washingtonians proud, and we will show the entire nation what it looks like to fight for American democracy — even when we don't have full access to it.' Solve the daily Crossword
Buzz Feed
2 minutes ago
- Buzz Feed
Amazon Echo Show 15: The Family Hub Worth Every Penny
Hi! I'm Sally Elshorafa — Home and Garden Editor here at BuzzFeed. I'm also someone who *loves* being organized, but would much rather adopt a great system than build one from scratch. I just like tools that fit into my life without me having to reinvent the wheel. Enter the Amazon Echo Show 15. It's a 15.6-inch full HD touchscreen display (try saying that three times fast), designed to be either wall-mounted like a piece of framed art or kept on a stand. Think Samsung's The Frame paired with Alexa's brains (oh no, is Alexa sentient?!?). It's slim, clean, and big enough to see from across the room, making it perfect for acting as a central hub in my busy home. And because it's voice-powered, I almost never have to touch it. I can control it entirely with my voice while I'm cooking, wrangling my children, or having a meltdown (often). Mine lives in the corner of our kitchen counter, because the kitchen is the most high-traffic spot in our house. In a multigenerational household like ours, placement is everything. Everyone sees it, everyone uses it, and that visibility is exactly what makes it work. It's not just another piece of tech bought under false pretenses; it's actually woven into the way we live. Cheesy, I know. of the best things about it is how customizable the display is. You can pin and arrange widgets so the things that matter most are always front and center. In our case, that's my family's shared Google Calendar (it works with Microsoft and Apple cals as well). We keep every appointment, meeting, school event, and trip on there, so there's no more, "Wait, you're in a meeting at the same time both kids have separate play dates scheduled?" surprises. The calendar on the Echo Show is in real time; if my husband updates it from his phone, it's instantly reflected on the screen in the kitchen. We also keep a synced shopping list on display, which anyone in our family can update through the Alexa app, or just by shouting out what needs to be added (a more common occurrence). If I notice we're out of eggs while making breakfast, I just say, "Alexa, add a dozen eggs to my shopping list." No pen, no paper, no unlocking my phone. Whoever ends up at the grocery store next sees the updated list immediately. And it's not just groceries. We add household items, kid stuff, and random things we think of mid-conversation. Right now, our list includes washing machine pods, extra pillowcases for the kids, and bulk cold brew. Once items are purchased, you can either check them off on the app or via the Echo Show, whatever works for you. Other widgets we use daily include a month-at-a-glance calendar (critical for planning ahead), a weather panel that updates in real time, curated news headlines based on our preferences, and a rotating photo carousel from a shared family album. The photo widget keeps it personal. You might be checking the calendar, but you're also catching glimpses of family vacations, silly toddler moments, and our favorite everyday snapshots. The smart home control panel is where the Echo Show 15 really earns its keep as a hub. Beyond organization and control, it's also an entertainment screen. It has built-in Fire TV, so I can stream Prime Video, Netflix, YouTube, and more directly on the display. Most of the time, I keep it in "mission control" mode, but sometimes I'll put on the local news while I'm making dinner, or watch an F1 race highlight while I stir a sauce that requires constant attention. Sorta random, but one thing I really like is that I can "drop in" via video to say hi to whoever is in the kitchen, which is great when one of us is out of town and wants to say hello to the kids. Using FaceTime works fine, but it's dependent on someone holding their phone up to others while everyone talks, which sucks if they're in the middle of doing something. Plus, phone screens are small. When I video chat on the Echo, it's a big, clear display, no hands required. The sound and volume are also better. This week alone, the Echo Show 15 has run three labeled timers while I was cooking an elaborate meal, played "Let It Go" from Frozen on command to end a toddler meltdown, warned me about an incoming afternoon rainstorm despite it being a heatwave so the kids could grab their raincoats on their way out, added oat milk to the shopping list mid-coffee pour, displayed a live baby monitor feed while I prepped lunch, let me know that my favorite baseball team got absolutely destroyed during an away game, and delivered a five-minute news update from NPR while I folded cloth napkins. None of these are flashy tech miracles, but together they make the day run more smoothly. The beauty of the Echo Show is that it doesn't require constant tinkering. You can display it horizontally or vertically — whatever works for you. Reviewers are split 50/50 on how they display it. Half mount it to the wall, the other put it on a stand. Some get really creative with how it's mounted, so it looks like it's part of a gallery wall. Some people mount it to their bathroom mirror. You can also display it vertically — it'll rotate the screen so everything still looks good. It also helps that the device is aesthetically pleasing. The clean design and slim bezel means it blends into the kitchen instead of looking like a big piece of tech taking up counter space. If I wanted to, I could mount it so it looks like framed art, but the stands works better for us since it's easier to move if we ever want to shift things around. The screen itself is bright and large enough to read from a distance, which is something smaller devices can't really match. Living in a multigenerational household means there's a constant flow of information, needs, and schedules to keep track of. The Echo Show has become the quiet extra set of hands that remembers what's running low, keeps track of where everyone needs to be, entertains when needed, and makes sure the important stuff doesn't slip through the cracks. I originally bought it on a whim, wondering if it would be one of those "will this make me the person I want to be?" purchases. Instead, it turned out to be something far from practical, a device that actually makes our daily life easier, keeps the whole family on the same page, and looks good doing it. It's not just another smart display. It's the nerve center of our home. And for a busy family like mine, that makes it worth every penny we spent on it. Get the Amazon Echo Show 15 from Amazon for $299.99.
Geek Wire
2 minutes ago
- Geek Wire
Building an AI-first company: What these two business leaders learned from top experts
Adam Brotman, left, and Andy Sack, authors of the book, 'AI First.' (Photo Courtesy Forum3) This week on the GeekWire Podcast, our guests are Adam Brotman and Andy Sack, co-authors of AI First: The Playbook for a Future-Proof Business and Brand. Brotman was Starbucks' chief digital officer and later co-CEO of Sack is a founder, investor, and longtime advisor to tech leaders. Together, they run Forum3, a Seattle-based company that helps brands with customer loyalty and engagement. For their book, they interviewed experts including Bill Gates, Sam Altman, Reid Hoffman and Ethan Mollick, and spent time with companies and leaders that have seen early AI success. We talk about the shocking prediction that Altman gave them, how Moderna achieved 80% employee participation in an AI prompt contest, the CEO who supercharged sales by using AI to analyze call transcripts, and what businesses can do to roll out AI successfully. Listen below, and continue reading for my 5 top takeaways. 1. Leaders need their own 'holy shit' moment. AI has a better chance of being adopted when executives personally experience and use the technology themselves. 'It doesn't mean that the CEO has to become an expert in AI,' Brotman said, 'but they have to at least demonstrate that mindset, that curiosity, and a little bit of passion for what they don't know, and empower the organization to go ahead.' 2. Formalize AI efforts with a dedicated team. Instead of ad-hoc adoption, create an internal group to lead the charge. A good starting point is a cross-functional 'AI Council' or task force composed of passionate employees and at least one C-suite member. Brotman and Sack were challenged by Wharton professor Ethan Mollick to push companies even further, to establish internal 'AI Labs' to truly go all-in on experimentation. 3. Treat AI like an evolving intelligence, not static software. Unlike traditional technology implementations, AI capabilities change weekly. Companies need an 'always-on experimentation mindset' rather than a deploy-and-maintain approach. 'This is a new thing. This is not software,' Sack said. 'It's a being, an alien intelligence.' 4. Make AI adoption fun and experimental. Moderna succeeded by turning AI learning into a 'prompt-a-thon contest' with prizes, making employees feel comfortable with experimentation. This tapped into human psychology and removed the fear often associated with new technology. 'They really integrated the launch of that contest in the culture of the company,' Brotman said. 'The ROI has been off-the-charts in terms of productivity for them as a company.' 5. The transformation is happening faster than you think. When Brotman and Sack interviewed Altman, the OpenAI CEO casually dropped a bombshell prediction: 95% of marketing as we know it today will be done by artificial intelligence within three to five years. That shifted their thinking and approach to the book. As Brotman noted, 'If you look at how the technology has progressed since we've had that interview, it's right on schedule.' AI First: The Playbook for a Future-Proof Business and Brand, by Adam Brotman and Andy Sack, is published by Harvard Business Review Press. Subscribe to GeekWire in Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen.
